Baby Scars and Chainsaw Men
by ShatteredAngelWings
Summary: (Revamp of my other TCM story) Adrian is a quiet, scarred bookworm traveling with a band of rude teenagers. When their car decides to break down, they meet a woman by the name of Luda Mae Hewitt, who lets them stay at her house. Only Adrian notices the family's strange occurances. And then there's the man with the chainsaw…rated for attempted suicide, self harm, gore and language
1. Chapter 1

Baby Scars and Chainsaw Men (V2)

1

Farther Away-Evanescence

"You can't _possibly_ have a good explanation to not go on this trip," Dad said, crossing his arms over his chest as Joseph packed up our suitcases. He flipped me off and someone in the van shrieked. A girl wearing a bikini top and big, round sunglasses stepped out of the car to go take a piss.

"Because I'm on my period," I blurted out and by the look on his face, he didn't care nor believe the lie. "Get in, Adrian," he commanded sharply and I did as I was told. Kit sneered at me.

"Freak," one of the three girls, a busty brunette in a crop top, muttered. Her long hair got caught in my bracelets when I climbed into the backseat and she started screaming hysterically; Bikini was trying frantically to untangle the long extensions.

"Why do you wears these?" Bikini asked as she yanked my bracelets hard, ripping them off, freeing Crop Top's hair. "Oh." Her tone was snarky, condescending. It pissed me off immediately. My skin was laced with fat, puckered scars that never healed or faded. "Hey—woah, what the fuck happened to your arms?" Kit's eyes met mine, confused and disgusted.

I shifted away from the attention and snatched up my bracelets, ignoring the prying eyes that stared, the voices seeming to care about my scars and me. "Nothing," I said quietly, "nothing."

We lapsed into silence but the gears in my brain were working over drive, grinding and crunching. I knew they were thinking I was a freak but my mind was too full of nonsense and phrases and I was trying to drown out their loud chatter with my rock music.

oOo

"Damn!" Kit slapped the steering wheel, frustration written all over his face as Joseph, Bikini's boyfriend, looked under the hood. We were parked in a rundown gas station's pump area; Meredith (Crop Top) and Liam, her on-and-off ex, were headed into the store to see about getting some help. There were three couples: Liam and Meredith, Lexis and Brittany, and Alex and Kit.

Me, on the other hand, had one boyfriend. That was my precarious stack of books. "I'm going with Meredith and Liam," I told Kit and scrambled out of the back seat, tripping when I landed on the ground. Clouds of dust puffed up from the ground and made me sneeze.

I hurried across the parking lot, heading for the door. When I pushed it open, the smell of cured meat hit me and I swayed, nearly crashing into a stand with sunglasses. I spotted Meredith's long hair and weaved through the aisles, looking around the shop.

The convenience store was light brightly, throwing everything into sharp high definition. There was an area off to the back near the restrooms with dingy little table; aisles of snack food lead to a counter with a bar and, in the display window, countless cold cuts.

A plump, older woman manned the counter, wisps of pale-grey hair escaping her long, curly braid. "Could you, like, help us?" Liam asked, his tone rude. I stepped up behind them, smiling shyly at the old woman; her sharp eyes narrowed at the couple in front of me, from behind bright red cat-eye glasses.

"With what?" she asked, shifting in her seat. Sweat stains flashed when she brushed back her hair. "Our car broke down, ma'am," I explained in the politest voice I had, causing Liam to jump and spin around to face me, "and we can't figure out what's wrong. Do you, maybe, have a mechanic here? If not, we'll be on our way."

She smiled at me, showing coffee-stained teeth. "And there's a girl who has manners _and _pose," she laughed. Meredith scowled at me. "No, ma'am," I said modestly, feeling my face get hot when she swept out from behind the desk. "My brother, the sheriff here," she told me, patting my cheek with a gnarled hand, "might be able to help ya. Do you have a place to stay?"

"We're actually on our way to a fest, down in Austin," snapped Liam, sneer rising on his lips as he ogled me and sent the hairs on my skin prickling, "so if you could, call him and have him take a look."

"My name's Adrian," I told the woman, smiling when she glared at the couple. "Luda Mae Hewitt. You're such a sweet li'l thing, aren't ya?" I felt my face flush. "You can stay at my house. He lives there with me, my son, Thomas, and my other brother, Monty." Luda Mae was smiling as we walked back out.

"Mind if I join you? I'll give you directions," she said with a smile at Kit, who'd taken off his red muscle tee and was fanning himself with his hat. "Sure, whatever," he replied. Her smile faltered but I squeezed her hand and whispered in her ear, "They're all a bit rude."

Lexis and Brittany whined about being hot as I helped Luda Mae into the back; Lexis, who didn't seem so sorry when she laughed an apology, elbowed me in the nose. Nose throbbing, I pulled the seat back into place for Liam and Meredith, who climbed in without so much as a "Thank you, Adrian", not that I was really expecting one from these kids.

"Are all these books yours?" Luda Mae asked, eyes wide. I went red as I muttered an apology and picked them up. "And you play?" She eyed my guitar case. I nodded. "I'm sorry about this mess, Miss Hewitt. I've been sitting back here with no one else and I-I guess I kind of took over with all my things," I mumbled, face burning.

She patted my hand, pale against my olive skin tone. "It's surprising, to see a girl such as yourself in such terrible company," Luda Mae said, gesturing with her head to the occupants jamming out Robert Thicke's _Blurred Lines. _"Yeah. My parents made me go. The guy driving is the son of a family friend and he basically forced me to come along," I answered.

She just smiled and turned to the front of the car, leaning between Lexis and Liam's heads, to shout directions.

I kicked off my sneakers and slid my books into my backpack lying on the floor; keeping the one I was currently reading in my lap. I opened it up and began to read, losing myself in the electric love story of a mysterious girl and clumsy boy.

oOo

"Adrian, we're here. Get your fugly ass up." I blinked hard against the phone light that flashed in my eyes. My vision was bleary; I blinked harder. It cleared. Liam's sour face loomed above mine and the stink of cigarettes and cheap booze reeked from his mouth. He was leering at me.

"Let's go, sugar pop," he snapped and reached in. I wanted so badly to panic, to kick my legs out, to slap his strong hands away from me but I was still half-asleep so I let him haul me out of the car and shove me into the grass surrounding the old plantation house.

"That's no way to treat a lady!" Luda Mae abolished him when she hobbled around the corner. He sneered at her and kicked the gravel. The spray hit me in the mouth and eyes and I sputtered, spitting out gritty dust and wiping at my watering eyes.

"I-I'm fine," I argued as I got to my feet and pushed back my messy hair. I hardly bothered with brushing it anymore; I had no one to impress anyway. "These boys have _no _manners!" she cried as she patted my arm sympathetically. I froze when I realized that my bracelets were gone and I turned to Liam, who was holding them by the fistful, a sneaky grin on his face. "L-Liam, g-give me back my bra-acelets, please," I begged, horror filling my chest as Luda Mae inspected my arms.

I shied away from her, holding my arms away and close to me. "What's wrong with your arms, hun?" asked Luda Mae, "I see nothing." "She's all scarred up like a freak!" Brittany shrieked with a loud, braying laugh.

"Give her back the damn bracelets, boy!" yelled a voice.

I spun around to find a scarecrow-thin man wearing a wrinkled sheriff's uniform stalking down from the porch steps; he was sweating fiercely and his face gleaming with it. He had this gritty, grimy feel about him but Liam scoffed and tossed the bracelets down at my feet.

I dropped down and hurriedly tugged them on; Liam was laughing as he shouldered passed the sheriff.

"You little shits. You'll get yours," the man hissed as he greeted Luda Mae with, "Hey, Mama," and then he turned to me. His eyes were hidden in the folded wrinkles of his face but I could feel the heat as he surveyed me. "I think I might have to adopt her," Luda Mae laughed.

"I'm Adrian, sir." I nodded respectfully as I brushed away the dirt, careful not to accidentally grind it into my scars. "Sheriff Hoyt, at your service. Now, what's this about a car?"

As I explained our situation with the car, I heard a burst of laughter. A dog howled. And then _he _came out of the house, a hulking man wielding a chainsaw. He stopped at the top step on the wraparound porch, his head swung back and forth like he was picking up a scent and then his body twisted in our direction.

I could feel the heat of his stare all the way from here and then it was gone, and he was gone, walking around to the back of the house.

The roar of the chainsaw drowned out the teenagers' loud, drunken laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

Baby Scars and Chainsaw Men

2

Decode-Paramore

Inside the house was stuffy and humid; I felt weighed down. "It's too hot!" whined Lexis, stomping her foot. I nearly lost my foot to her designer high heel. "I'm terribly sorry," Luda Mae apologized as she ushered us upstairs and gave everyone a room.

"The AC's broken and Hoyt's been trying to fix it but it seems that it needs to be replaced," she explained, patting at her forehead. "Oh, here, last down, right next to Tommy's room," she said when I went to head into the room next to Brittany and Lexis. Meredith attempted to trip me.

"Oops," she sang in a sugary voice that made me want to claw off my ears, "_sorry_." I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood and smiled at her. "No problem," I said pleasantly, gripping the handle of my suitcase tighter. The leather bit into my skin.

The room Luda Mae gave me was nice, in an antique sort of way. The room looked like it belonged to a bibliophile, which suited me quite fine. Off to the right side sat a bathroom, a dresser and a closet; across from it sat an old bed and lining the walls were books. Old, new, antique, weathered, mint-condition.

I sighed. "Thank you, Luda Mae," I said and spun around and hugged her hard; she patted my back softly. "Wash up now, sugar," she told me, patting my cheek with a smile, "We'll be having supper shortly."

I unpacked my clothes and feminine care items and transferred everything into either the dresser or the bathroom, in the barren cabinets. Tucking my suitcase under the bed, I decided to shower and closed my door; I set my phone on the dresser outside the bathroom and stripped.

I ran my fingers through my oily, dyed hair and decided I'd wash it as well. Humming, I stepped under the spray of lukewarm water and scrubbed myself free of all the grime from flying down the road at ninety miles per hour with the windows down in Texas.

I thought I heard the door open but I figured it was just the house making noises; old houses make lots of noises. I screamed when I felt the curtain rip open and a hulk of a man glowered down at me with dark, dark blue eyes.

The water beat against my face and I sputtered, trying to keep myself covered. "E-E-Excuse me," I managed to get out as he surveyed me. Nodding, he replaced the curtain and his heavy footfalls faded into the room next to me.

_That's Tommy, _I realized as I dried and dressed, squeezing water from my hair. I peeked out of the room and glanced up and down the hallway; not a soul in sight. I decided to head downstairs, to see if Luda Mae needed help or to ask Hoyt about the guy who barged in on me.

The door next to me opened and the guy from before stepped out, a hulking mass. His lank curls fell around his face as I realized he was staring at me. I stammered an apology.

He was dark with grime and dirty but his hair was shone with oil; he wore a stained shirt and frayed pants and heavy, chunky work boots that made me tense up with his every step. Let's throw in the fact that he was well over six foot, wore a mask over his face, and was currently trying to glare me into hell.

"I-I-I—"

"Tommy! Adrian! There you are. Adrian, Tommy. Tommy, Adrian. She and her…companions…will be staying with us for a few days until they can fix their car," Luda Mae explained, wiping her hands on her apron. "L-L-Luda," I stammered and Tommy shifted, his hand reaching towards me.

I met his eyes.

His rough fingers gently brushed away a damp clump of hair from my cheek; I hadn't realized it'd stuck there. "T-Thank you," I murmured as his hand glided over the swell of my head and down my neck. He dropped his hand abruptly and walked away.

"H-H-He…He accidentally walked in on me…" I whispered to Luda Mae, "…While I was in the shower." She hummed, eyeballing Thomas. "I'll tell him he'll need to knock," she told me, patting my arm before she led me downstairs.

The kitchen was swirling with the smell of tender meat and spices and vegetables; a man in a wheelchair nearly ran over my foot. "I-I'm terribly sorry," I mumbled when he stopped, wheeled his chair around and stared up at me.

"I'm Adrian," I blurted. He smiled, showing off coffee-stained teeth. The little dog in his lap licked at my finger excitedly. "Monty. And this is Sara." The dog squirmed and wiggled, her tail thumping like crazy. "Can I hold her?" I asked.

He nodded and showed me how to pick her up; she squirmed in my arms but remained in them. She licked at my cheeks and my chin and nearly swiped her little pink tongue across my mouth. "She likes you," Hoyt said loudly as he walked in, fanning himself with his hat.

He eyeballed the furry animal in my arms, then me, and smiled. His teeth were tobacco-stained and crooked but his smile was genuine. "Want some help, old boy?" he asked in Monty's ear and they left.

The teens I was forced to ride with were whining about everything damn possible. "Holy shit, can it _get _any fucking hotter in this shit hole?" That was Alex, fanning herself and slipping her cold beer between her breasts.

"It's too hot!" That was Meredith as she hung on Liam's arm, her big hair in the way. I scowled. "Do you want some help?" I asked Luda Mae and I could see how moved she was by my offer but she declined. "I've just 'bout got everything ready," she murmured, swatting me playfully.

When I entered the dining area, I felt all eyes swivel towards me and gawk. "W-what?" I asked worriedly, looking down at myself. A lose t-shirt and tights. My wristbands were on, my hair loosely combed—I felt the heated presence of a man behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and yelped at his proximity.

Tommy gave no indication that he heard me, although he did grab my arm to keep me cracking my head on the counter. "S-Sorry," I said, "I-I didn't see you there." His intense eyes flitted to mine and I saw something flash across them before he turned and headed to the side of the table less populated.

I followed.

"So, freak," sneered Kit and I flinched, despite myself at the word. Tommy seemed nervous, fidgeting in his seat; he whined softly, a noise between a scream and a growl. "Don't say that," I snapped, sipping my beer.

It tasted disgusting so I handed it to Hoyt, who guzzled it down gladly and sipped some of Luda Mae's iced tea instead. I glanced at Tommy out of the corner of my eye.

"Dinner's ready!" Luda Mae called. I braced myself but, for what, I didn't have the slightest clue.


	3. Chapter 3

Baby Scars and Chainsaw Men

3

Valley of the Dolls-Marina and the Diamonds

Dinner was noisy. The girls whined about the "greasy meat" that made them feel "fat like Adrian." Of course, I pretended not to hear and bit into the meat. It wasn't greasy; just …gamey, kind of like wild meat or something, like birds, maybe? The guys were disgusting and held a belching match right in front of my face.

"Do you have _any _manners?" I snapped as my patience snapped. My temples pounded with a building headache and I rubbed circles into them hard with the pads of my thumbs. The smell of their foul breath was making me queasy and really wasn't helping my head.

"No," laughed Liam as he smacked his lips and burped in my face. I shoved him, tired and cranky and feeling over heated, and his face transformed into something hard, a rage filling his eyes that was unforgettable.

He grabbed my arm and twisted, hard; the pain skyrocketed through my entire forearm and tears sprang to my eyes. "Don't touch—" I began but he interrupted me, yanking me to my feet. My hip smashed into Tommy's chair and knocked the breath out of my lungs. "Why? Because you're such a freak?" Liam sneered. Lexis squealed with laughter.

Shame burned inside my belly. Kit snickered as Liam smirked. I swung my leg back and then, suddenly; I was out of Liam's reach, wrapped in strong, hard arms. The smell of earth and something metallic stung my nose as I glanced up and my face burned with embarrassment. I'd gotten everyone here involved.

"Tommy," Luda Mae said quietly, walking closer. He let out a growl, vibrating up from his stomach. Brittany giggled as Alex burst into fits of loud laughter but quickly shut up when Tommy turned his head towards her. "Thomas Jedidiah Hewitt," Monty rasped sharply and Tommy's hold loosened.

"I'm s-sorry," I blurted. Luda Mae looked at me questioningly. "I-I di-didn't mean t-to…" I mumbled, swallowing passed the hard lump in my throat. Tears filled my eyes. "I didn't…I'm s-sorry," I said lamely, lowering my head.

"Sweet pea, why on earth—" Luda Mae said softly but Alex interrupted her. "Because she ruined dinner for everyone," Alex sneered. I bit my lip until I tasted blood and counted.

_One. _

Tommy let me go but hovered behind me, close enough to restrain me again. He was a giant compared to me, a girl who was barely five-foot-five, and he could easily break my arms or something if he was too rough.

_Two. _

Luda Mae banged her stick when the bickering started but no one paid attention. Alex threw the first punch, right into my face. Blood gushed down my lips and I touched it, slowly, the pain registering.

_Three. _

I sat down and picked up a napkin and pressed it against my bleeding nose. _Bang, bang. _The gunshots exploded loud and the squabbling stopped; everyone stared at Hoyt in shock. I stared at my bloody fingers. "Is this how you treat your guests?" shrieked Meredith, stomping a foot. One of the guys yelped. "Is _this _how your parents raised you? To act like hooligans?" Monty asked from his wheelchair.

Lexis sneered. "Shut up, you amputee freak!" The room went silent. "Monty was a veteran," I said slowly, "so how dare you call him that? He served in wars before your whiny little butt was born!" She laughed shrilly.

"He watched his men _die _so you could be free! He lost his legs so you wouldn't be in slavery or screwing some old man you got sold to as a little girl!" I got to my feet and ignored the blood dripping from my swollen nose. She stopped laughing. "Well," she said stuffily, flipping her hair, "I—"

"No, just shut your damn mouth _right _now," I hissed. "All I hear is me, me, me; the world doesn't revolve around you all! No wonder your parents divorced—" I froze as she glowered at me and then three of the six crumpled, looking angry. "I-I di-didn't—" I stammered.

"No, I think you _did_," hissed Kit as Lexis and Brittany stood there in shock. Alex was sniffling. Liam's eyes blazed as Meredith stalked up to me. "And what about _you_?" she asked. I stopped. "What about—?"

"Your dad's a deadbeat, can't even take care of his kid. Your mom killed herself! Wanna know what I think?" Meredith hissed in my face. Something cold replaced my blood in my veins. "N-no—" "Too bad, you freak," she snapped and her fist smashed into my cheek. "I think she couldn't handle having a defective daughter."

I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. She turned and walked away, dragging Liam with her. He flipped me off. I flopped back into the chair and tears flooded my vision. "I'm sorry," I whispered brokenly. "I-I-I…M-may I b-be ex-excused?"

Luda Mae nodded and I ran.

oOo

Groggily, I woke up. I could hear laughter and squealing. My arms were killing me and I looked and I saw the fresh, red cuts. Bile rose. I swallowed it down half-heartedly as I rose and got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, slapping on some band-aids. After noticing the cuts on my fingers, I wrapped them too and brushed back my hair into a braid.

Wisps of red hair tipped with black fell out of the braid but I ignored them and stared at my reflection. Pale skin, almost translucent, a splash of freckles across my nose, curious dark eyes, the scar from when I was jumped at 13, the dark eyebrows. I looked too much like Mom so I dyed my hair; Dad barely even batted an eyelash. I was paler than her so I looked kind of like a sick Goth all the time; I'd opted out of black because it would wash out my skin even more, making me look like a _dead _Goth.

I scrubbed my teeth until my gums bled and the frothy water washed out pink, swirling down the drain.

I couldn't stop thinking, seeing, my mother, lying lifeless in the tub, water tinted pink. Her lifeless eyes staring up at the ceiling as the last tear dripped down her temple. I remembered I screamed and screamed and screamed until Dad came running in and _he _started screaming to. He had shoved passed me and I fell as he collapsed and screamed and cried, pulling her from the tub, her gown transparent.

Her body was cold like ice when the paramedics arrived. I watched from the porch as the neighbors gathered around Dad and Logan, my mom's brother, came and sat by me. He pulled me into his lap and stroked my hair as I watched the ambulance zip my mother in her beautiful nightgown into a shiny black bag and cart her off the morgue.

Someone knocked on the door and I quickly answered it. It was Tommy, looking a bit out of place with his dirty clothes as he jerked his head towards the staircase.

He wanted to walk to me to breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

Baby Scars and Chainsaw Men

Four

Hell To Your Doorstep-Count of Monte Cristo Musical

It was just Thomas and I at the table, us being up so early in the morning. I'd brought my sketchbook and decided to draw using my knees as an easel and just sketched. I sketched the kitchen counter and Luda Mae's back, her braid swinging, illuminated by sunlight. She looked angelic, kind of like a spiritual grandmother, the kind who interprets dreams and reads tealeaves on cool autumn days.

Charcoal stained my fingers as I finished the wisps escaping her braid. Thomas bumped my shoulder gently, his head bowed down. Curls fell over the side of his face, a curtain, and, without really thinking, I pushed it away gently. His head whipped to me.

His wide, frightened eyes stared at me like I was going to strike him and his hand shot up to catch my wrist in a bruising grip, making me tighten my mouth in a frown. "I-I'm so-sorry," I managed to choke out; embarrassment washing over me as I realized I'd touched him without permission.

**Adrian's Rules:**

**1. ****Never touch.**

**2. ****Never allow yourself to _be _****touched.**

I broke both those rules within the span of a minute and all because of this man. I looked up into his eyes and stared, more out of curiosity than fear.

His eyelashes were long, and thick, like a mascara model's; his eyes themselves were the color of molten dark Hershey's chocolates, with a milk chocolate around his pupils and the outer edges of his irises. He was staring at me too, his eyes darting everywhere, just looking.

Something fluttered inside of me as he let go of my wrist and reached down gently, like I was a figurine made of glass. Well, I guess, compared to him, I was. A chubby girl made of glass. I pressed the tip of my tongue against the back of my teeth as his palm brushed my skin in the lightest of movement, barely even touching me, like he was afraid he'd break me.

I pressed my cheek a bit firmer into his hand and something in his eyes lit up, like a child figuring out how to do a difficult problem after so many failures.

"Tommy?"

He blinked, one, twice at the sound of Luda Mae's voice, before he snatched his hand back and glowered at me, as though I was the one to blame for the moment. I looked away, staring down at the picture on the paper; it was Thomas, his face quarter-turned to me, a cascade of curls curling at his shoulders, just a bit too long. I stared and stared and stared; my hands started to tremble dangerously.

"Adrian?"

Luda Mae peered in as Thomas shifted, pointing at the picture and the stub of charcoal in my left hand. The black substance stained my sleeve and forearm and the side of my hand—wait. Forearm? It took me several seconds to realize my sleeve was pushed up and Thomas could see the band-aids. My cheeks burning, I yanked down my sleeve and zipped my lips; he reached out for me but quickly pulled his hand back as the thumps of teenagers waking and heading down brought the risk of persecution.

Lexis barely spared me a glance as Kit dropped into the seat at the head of the table. Liam shot me a dark look as Meredith chose the farthest seat away, Brittany across from her. Alex looked disheveled, her eyes bloodshot and hair a disarray; she looked frumpier than I'd ever seen her.

I was nothing more a speck of lint on their clothes; nothing I said ever _mattered _them. I was a tree in the backdrop of the fairytale; I was a girl whose face melded into the crowd.

"We've decided," Kit said, laying a hand on Alex's. Even in disarray, she managed to look slinky, dressed to kill in a crop top that left little to the imagination and shorts that looked more like panties. "To leave you here."

"You can't do that!" I cried out, scrabbling to my feet. Liam's eyes flashed and in one great leap, he was across the table and had a hand around my throat, crushing my windpipe. "We sure as hell can. Who do you think you are, you little prude?" he hissed and his spittle was like acid on my cheeks. His crazy, wild eyes looked at me like I was meat. "You always thought you were _so _better than us," he continued, ignoring Luda Mae, who was demanding he let me go. I met his eyes boldly.

Alex joined in suddenly.

"'_Oh, look at me, I'm so lonely and friendless. Boo hoo. I cut myself for attention._' What a bunch of shit."

Her eyes hardened into cold stones that lacked warmth; I glanced around the table. Lexis was adjusting her breasts in her t-shirt and Brittany was eyeballing her; Kit was glaring at me.

"Every time I wanted to go out," Kit said, "my dad always said, 'Hey, why don't you bring Adrian along? I'm sure she'd love to come.' Like I want some filthy half-breed reject in my new car, putting her fat ass all over it. Disgusting." He wrinkled his nose like he smelled something foul. Liam's hand tightened and tears prickled in my eyes but I _refused _to cry in front such horrible humans.

_The worst monsters are human, _I thought dryly as Liam got up in my face. "Remember when your mom killed herself?" The hand got tighter. Black spots sparkled in my eyes. I managed a nod. "You were just a little kid, not even ten yet, but you didn't cry; you just stared at the casket while your dad bawled his eyes out. It's like you didn't care about her at all."

I remembered feeling cold, like someone had stuffed me in a bucket of ice. I remembered the heaviness that stayed over the years as I struggled with school and depression and cutting.

"You were a freak then. You never spoke to anyone; you just looked at him or her with your blank eyes and they'd leave you alone. You're a freak now, too. Nobody will _ever _want you."

The tears blurred his face as Alex began to laugh. Lexis snorted and started making pig noises. Kit brayed that stupid laugh. Liam's hand tightened until I couldn't breathe anymore and, by then, my arms were numb. Just like before.

I thought I heard screaming as my vision gave way and the rest of me followed.


End file.
